Laguna Lake Dev’t Authority GM visits AQD's BFS

On his way to demolish illegal fishpens in Laguna de Bay, Laguna Lake Development Authority General Manager Edgardo Manda paid AQD’s BFS a surprise visit last August 8.

BFS staff briefed him on the activities being conducted at the station and gave him a tour of the facilities. In turn, he discussed the activities of LLDA and suggested possible areas of collaboration between the two institutions, one of which includes promoting awareness of lake conservation and management in secondary school students, wherein BFS can act as venue of ecological camps for these students. He found the training building and the housing facilities conducive venues for trainings and seminars.

Mr. Manda also foresees setting up a consortium of research institutions and academe involved in research in the lake to discuss issues and problems of the lake and come up with viable solutions. In this vein, the BFS laboratories can also be used by LLDA in collaborative researches and regular water quality monitoring. He is also interested in promoting the culture of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii in the lake.

In addition, LLDA has an ongoing project on freshwater ornamental fish culture in tanks and ponds with BFAR Region IV-A and Bioresearch, and suggested that BFS be involved in this project as well.